Audi unveils R18 prototype, plans DTM future car

Audi AG showed off their new sportscar prototype contender, the Audi R18
TDI, at the Audi Sportpark in Ingolstadt, Germany today. The new closed
coupe will be the car they hope will allow them to score their tenth victory
at the 24 Hours of Le ...

Audi AG showed off their new sportscar prototype contender, the Audi R18
TDI, at the Audi Sportpark in Ingolstadt, Germany today. The new closed
coupe will be the car they hope will allow them to score their tenth victory
at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Prior to the world's most prestigious endurance race, Audi will test the
LMP1 contender privately. Besides the first peek at the R18 diesel powered
machine, it will not be seen again until the Le Mans open test scheduled
this year in April. The first race for the German manufacturer will be in
May for the Le Mans Series event, the second round of the 2011
Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, at Spa in Belgium.

The R18 is a closed-cockpit design, one not raced by Audi since the marque's
Le Mans debut in 1999, when the German works team entered two open R8R
models and two closed R8C cars. In the marque's debut at the famed race,
neither R8C finished the race but the R8R twins took the chequered flag
in third and fourth places.

"In the future, aerodynamic efficiency will be even more important at Le
Mans than it was in the past," commented Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of
Audi. "A closed car has clear advantages in this respect. Our computer
simulations have been confirmed in the wind tunnel and during initial
track tests."

The design draws on the experience of the 2003 race-winning Speed
8 of the Bentley sister brand, but also adds a features like the
rules-dictated fin atop the engine cover.

The new car stunned many with its "wicked look" as the main comment said
by many. "I tested the R18 for the first time at the end of last month
which was essentially the Coupe's initial roll-out combined with its
maiden test," said Audi factory driver Allan McNish.

"The car ran very well without any technical problems. We encountered
wet and dry running enabling us to collect a lot of information in all
types of track conditions," added the Scot.

The 2011 Audi R18 TDI in development in the wind tunnel

Photo by: Audi Communications Motorsport

The R18 will compete in six of the seven rounds of the 2011 Intercontinental
Le Mans Cup (ILMC), starting with the second event at Spa.

Audi has seen much success in motor racing, not only in the Le
Mans-style sportscar endurance races but also in the DTM (German Touring
Car Masters series). With the technology freeze still set for 2011, the
DTM team's race engineers are focusing new tire development. Audi will
again campaign nine cars with drives to be announced later.

"In 2010 the tires were a really crucial topic which caused us to fall
a little behind our competitor," said Dr. Martin Muhlmeier, Head of
Engineering for Audi Sport. "This mustn't happen again."

Audi's future in DTM is already in the works with the "R17" designation
for the Audi A4 DTM which will run in 2012 with the series' all-new
rules package, and competition from BMW in addition to Mercedes-Benz.

The new rules will also be used by a new US-based series supporting
NASCAR and Grand Am, and eventually by the Japanese Super GT series,
providing added opportunities for the "R17" outside DTM's core
German-focused series.

Audi will start testing the new DTM car in the summer of 2011 in preparation
for its 2012 debut.

Designation

Name

Series/class

Introduced

R1

quattro rallye

WRC

1980

R2

Sport quattro rallye

WRC

1984

R3

200 quattro rallye

WRC

1987

R4

200 quattro Trans-Am

Trans-Am

1988

R5

90 quattro IMSA

IMSA GTO

1989

R6

V8 quattro DTM

DTM

1990

R7

80 quattro Supertourismo

BTCC, GTCC, ITCC

1989

R8

R8R

LM P900

1999

R8

LM P900, LM P1

2000

R9

R8C

LM GTP

1999

R10

R10 TDI

LM P1

2005

R11

A4 DTM

DTM

2004

R12

A4 DTM

DTM

2005

R12+

A4 DTM

DTM

2006

R13

A4 DTM

DTM

2007

R14

A4 DTM

DTM

2008

R14+

A4 DTM

DTM

2009

R15

R15 TDI

LM P1

2009

R15+

R15+ TDI

LM P1

2010

R16

R8 LMS

FIA GT3

2009

R17

A4 DTM

DTM

2012

R18

R18 TDI

LM P1

2011

For the Twelve Hours of Sebring fans, there is a bit of disappointment as
the R18 will not make its debut at the event. However, the team's R15+ cars
will contest the overall victory at the Florida circuit in March, 2011 which
will also be the first round of the ILMC.